Uploaded July 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
From '' Freight Train ''
Label: A&M Records – 713
Format: Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM, Single
Country: US
Released: 1963
Tracklist
A Freight Train
Written-By – Elizabeth Cotten
B Out For Fun
Written-By – Bob Regan
Producer – Dorsey Burnette
Published By – Peter Maurice Music Co. Ltd.
Published By – Doral Music Co., Inc.
℗ 1998 Hydra
© 1998 Fury Records
℗ 1998 Fury Records
© 2023 Pan American
℗ 2023 Pan American
👥 [BAND INFO]
Popular Canadian singing duo that brought together Bob Regan and Lucille Starr as Bob & Lucille before becoming the Canadian Sweethearts.
They were most known for singing country but also for rockabilly, including the song, "Eeny Meeny Miney Moe".
They charted in Canada 4 times and the U.S. 3 times (one of those and Bob Regan and Lucille Starr). Their highest U.S. charted song was ""Hootenanny Express"" in 1964, which hit no.45. "Don't Knock on My Door" hit no.1 on the Canadian country charts in 1966 and "Lookin' Back to See" stopped at no.2 in 1965.
💿 [SONG INFO]
"Freight Train" is an American folk song written by Elizabeth Cotten in the early 20th century, and popularized during the American folk revival and British skiffle period of the 1950s and 1960s.
By Cotten’s own account in the 1985 BBC series Down Home, she composed “Freight Train” as a teenager (sometime between 1906 and 1912), inspired by the sound of the trains rolling in on the tracks near her home in North Carolina.
Cotten was a one-time nanny for folk singer Peggy Seeger, who took this song with her to England, where it became popular in folk music circles.
Unfortunately, British songwriters Paul James and Fred Williams subsequently misappropriated it as their own composition and copyrighted it. Under their credit, it was then recorded by British skiffle singer Chas McDevitt who recorded the song in December 1956. Under advice from his manager (Bill Varley), McDevitt then brought in folk-singer Nancy Whiskey and re-recorded the song with her doing the vocal, the result was a chart hit. McDevitt's version influenced many young skiffle groups of the day including one known as The Quarrymen.
Fortunately, under the advocacy of the influential Seeger family, the copyright was eventually restored to Cotten.
Nevertheless, it remains miscredited in many sources.
The Elizabeth Cotten recording for the Folksongs and Instrumentals with Guitar album was made by Mike Seeger in late 1957, early 1958, at Cotten’s home in Washington, D.C.
Ramblin' Jack Elliott recorded this song in 1957.
Beatles cover versions
According to author Mark Lewisohn in The Complete Beatles Chronicles (p. 362) the young Quarrymen-Beatles performed it live from 1957 till at least 1959 if not later, with John Lennon on lead vocal.
No recorded version is known to survive.
However, in January 1991, while doing recorded rehearsals in Sussex, England for the initial Unplugged TV show, Paul McCartney led his band through a small group of classic skiffle songs.
The concluding number was "Freight Train", with McCartney and all getting off to great start, however then suddenly just a few seconds into the song McCartney mysteriously stopped it all (this recording is available on an unauthorized release called Paul McCartney Limelight.
In 2009 Quarrymen member Rod Davis recorded a full version of the song and this was released on his album Under The Influence released by Scorpion.
Other recorded versions
Charting versions
Chas McDevitt Skiffle Group featuring Nancy Whiskey (No. 5 on the UK Singles Chart in 1957)
Rusty Draper (charted to the US top ten, end of 1957)
Peter, Paul and Mary on their In the Wind album
Esther & Abi Ofarim on their album "Songs Der Welt" (1963)
other
Laura Gibson
Chet Atkins
Jerry Garcia and David Grisman
Mike Seeger
Pat Donohue
Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee
Doc Watson and David Holt
Joan Baez
Alex Campbell (singer)
Peggy Seeger
Pete Seeger
Peter Tevis
Taj Mahal
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
Tommy Emmanuel
Laura Veirs
Lenny Breau
Jan og Kjeld
Joe Dassin (Je Change Un Peu De Vent)
Eila Pellinen (Pakoon, Pakoon)
Elizabeth Mitchell
Emilie Clepper
Calvin Russell.
🔗 [LINKS]
Available on Spotify:
open.spotify.com/track/1CMCQAH1kCBnRAJpAf0HQL
Apple Music:
music.apple.com/us/song/freight-train/1757645762
and Deezer:
deezer.com/en/track/3298782061
#folk
#worldandcountry
#countrymusic
From '' Freight Train ''
Label: A&M Records – 713
Format: Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM, Single
Country: US
Released: 1963
Tracklist
A Freight Train
Written-By – Elizabeth Cotten
B Out For Fun
Written-By – Bob Regan
Producer – Dorsey Burnette
Published By – Peter Maurice Music Co. Ltd.
Published By – Doral Music Co., Inc.
℗ 1998 Hydra
© 1998 Fury Records
℗ 1998 Fury Records
© 2023 Pan American
℗ 2023 Pan American
👥 [BAND INFO]
Popular Canadian singing duo that brought together Bob Regan and Lucille Starr as Bob & Lucille before becoming the Canadian Sweethearts.
They were most known for singing country but also for rockabilly, including the song, "Eeny Meeny Miney Moe".
They charted in Canada 4 times and the U.S. 3 times (one of those and Bob Regan and Lucille Starr). Their highest U.S. charted song was ""Hootenanny Express"" in 1964, which hit no.45. "Don't Knock on My Door" hit no.1 on the Canadian country charts in 1966 and "Lookin' Back to See" stopped at no.2 in 1965.
💿 [SONG INFO]
"Freight Train" is an American folk song written by Elizabeth Cotten in the early 20th century, and popularized during the American folk revival and British skiffle period of the 1950s and 1960s.
By Cotten’s own account in the 1985 BBC series Down Home, she composed “Freight Train” as a teenager (sometime between 1906 and 1912), inspired by the sound of the trains rolling in on the tracks near her home in North Carolina.
Cotten was a one-time nanny for folk singer Peggy Seeger, who took this song with her to England, where it became popular in folk music circles.
Unfortunately, British songwriters Paul James and Fred Williams subsequently misappropriated it as their own composition and copyrighted it. Under their credit, it was then recorded by British skiffle singer Chas McDevitt who recorded the song in December 1956. Under advice from his manager (Bill Varley), McDevitt then brought in folk-singer Nancy Whiskey and re-recorded the song with her doing the vocal, the result was a chart hit. McDevitt's version influenced many young skiffle groups of the day including one known as The Quarrymen.
Fortunately, under the advocacy of the influential Seeger family, the copyright was eventually restored to Cotten.
Nevertheless, it remains miscredited in many sources.
The Elizabeth Cotten recording for the Folksongs and Instrumentals with Guitar album was made by Mike Seeger in late 1957, early 1958, at Cotten’s home in Washington, D.C.
Ramblin' Jack Elliott recorded this song in 1957.
Beatles cover versions
According to author Mark Lewisohn in The Complete Beatles Chronicles (p. 362) the young Quarrymen-Beatles performed it live from 1957 till at least 1959 if not later, with John Lennon on lead vocal.
No recorded version is known to survive.
However, in January 1991, while doing recorded rehearsals in Sussex, England for the initial Unplugged TV show, Paul McCartney led his band through a small group of classic skiffle songs.
The concluding number was "Freight Train", with McCartney and all getting off to great start, however then suddenly just a few seconds into the song McCartney mysteriously stopped it all (this recording is available on an unauthorized release called Paul McCartney Limelight.
In 2009 Quarrymen member Rod Davis recorded a full version of the song and this was released on his album Under The Influence released by Scorpion.
Other recorded versions
Charting versions
Chas McDevitt Skiffle Group featuring Nancy Whiskey (No. 5 on the UK Singles Chart in 1957)
Rusty Draper (charted to the US top ten, end of 1957)
Peter, Paul and Mary on their In the Wind album
Esther & Abi Ofarim on their album "Songs Der Welt" (1963)
other
Laura Gibson
Chet Atkins
Jerry Garcia and David Grisman
Mike Seeger
Pat Donohue
Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee
Doc Watson and David Holt
Joan Baez
Alex Campbell (singer)
Peggy Seeger
Pete Seeger
Peter Tevis
Taj Mahal
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
Tommy Emmanuel
Laura Veirs
Lenny Breau
Jan og Kjeld
Joe Dassin (Je Change Un Peu De Vent)
Eila Pellinen (Pakoon, Pakoon)
Elizabeth Mitchell
Emilie Clepper
Calvin Russell.
🔗 [LINKS]
Available on Spotify:
open.spotify.com/track/1CMCQAH1kCBnRAJpAf0HQL
Apple Music:
music.apple.com/us/song/freight-train/1757645762
and Deezer:
deezer.com/en/track/3298782061
#folk
#worldandcountry
#countrymusic
